– 1 –

HABIB RAHMAN MADAN MAHATTA RAGHU RAI

– 3 –– 2 –

Garche hai mulq-e-daccan mei in dino qadr-e-suxan, Kaun Jaye ‘Zauq’ par dilli ki galiyaan chhod karSheikh Muhammad Ibrahim Zauq (1789-1854)1

Originally in Urdu by the famous poet Zauq, the above couplet may be transliterated as, “..the

seat of power may now rest in the Deccan (Southern India) along with all worldly comforts. But,

still who would want to leave the streets of Delhi?”

In 2012, Ojas Art presented Delhi... that was a solo show of Raghu Rai’s archival images,

spanning more than four decades of his work on Delhi. Seven years later, we present Delhi

That Was, exploring the photo archives of Habib Rahman, Madan Mahatta and Raghu Rai.

The earliest photographs presented are from the 1950s and span more than six decades of

pictorial documentation of Delhi. The images cover different aspects of the city and highlight

its architecture, monuments, people and lifestyles.

Delhi is very peculiar in multiple ways and takes a lot to get used to — the babudom, loudness,

boisterousness and now of course the pollution. On the other side, we have a rich history, arts,

culture, diversity and ironically large green spaces.

Raghu Rai’s archives present an astounding insight into Delhi’s heart — with a prolific

representation of the people and their emotions that make Delhi, what it is. Interestingly, Delhi

Zoo Entrance, one of the images in the exhibition was photographed by Mahatta to photo-

document the Delhi Zoo for Rahman and Rahman’s profile picture is by Mahatta!

Personally, with two centuries of family history in Delhi, I am the quintessential Delhiwallah, and

no other city even comes close to Delhi. The only place that may be better than Delhi as it

exists today is the city as it existed in the past, the Delhi That Was.

Anubhav Nath Curatorial Director, Ojas Art

1In 2012, the same couplet was used for the essay. Ideally, I wanted to find another one, but was unable to find one so befitting.

– 5 –– 4 –

HABIB RAHMAN

Habib Rahman was born in 1915 in

Koklata, Bengal in Undivided India.

He was an engineer, musician and

photographer and played a pivotal

role in the architectural landscape of

the country in the early decades after

India’s independence. He trained at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

in the 1940s under Lawrence Anderson,

William Wurster and Walter Gropius.

On his return to India, In 1946, he

brought the design approach of

architecture’s new International Style

with him. Beginning with his design

for Rabindra Bhavan in 1961, Rahman

began to develop a distinct design style

that fused a Bauhaus approach with a

contemporary India idiom.

Over the years Rahman created a

regional modernist approach, visible in

his designs for a number of buildings

including the Lalit Kala Akademi building,

the University Grants Commission office

and several low-cost housing blocks

under the Public Works Department.

His concern with aesthetics, as much

as utility, elevated his photographs of

buildings (usually his own) from mere

historical documents into fine-art

architectural photography.

His photographs of the modern buildings

he designed are infused with his own

extensive knowledge of the style of

photographic modernism. Rahman often

photographed from unexpected angles

in order to produce a sort of disorienting

mesh of lines.

Rahman’s Photographs, both in their

visual mode and the buildings they

capture, have come to represent the

glories of Indian Postcolonial modernism

at the moment at which it was being

produced and defined.

He was married to Indrani Rahman,

a classical dancer of international

fame and their son Ram Rahman, also

became a distinguished photographer,

documenting Delhi’s society, its streets

and architecture.

Habib Rahman passed away in Delhi in

1995 and his son Ram Rahman manages

the Habib Rahman Archives.

Curzon Road Hostels, 196717x16 in. Edition of 10.

Pho

to by M

adan M

ahatta

– 7 –– 6 –

Rabindra Bhavan Interior 2, 196116x16 in. Edition of 10.

Rabindra Bhavan, 196116x16 in. Edition of 10

– 9 –– 8 –

Rabindra Bhavan Interior 1, 196116x12 in. Edition of 10.

Rabindra Bhavan Interior, 196116x12 in. Edition of 10.

– 11 –– 10 –

Patel Bhavan, 197316x16 in. Edition of 10

IP Bhavan, 1965 16x16 in. Edition of 10

– 13 –– 12 –

MF Husain, 195616x16 in. Edition of 10

Facing page: Accountant General Building, 195417x16 in. Edition of 10.

– 15 –– 14 –

Indrani Portrait, 195316x17 in. Edition of 10.

Inder Gujral, Indrani with Ram, Satish Gujral, MF Husain, Charles Fabri, 195716x16 in. Edition of 10

– 17 –– 16 –

MADAN MAHATTAMadan Mahatta (family name, Mehta,

anglicized as Mahatta) was born in 1932

in Srinagar, Kashmir. The Mehta family,

opened their first studio in Srinagar

in 1915 and subsequently opened

branchesin Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Jammu,

Gulmarg and Murree which were closed

during India’s partition. The family

eventually moved to Delhi and opened

their studio, Mahatta & Co. at Connaught

Place in 1947.

Madan Mahatta went for his graduation

to the Guildford School of Arts & Crafts in

Surrey England in 1950. After completing

his graduation in photography, he stayed

on for another year to learn colour

negative positive printing just being

introduced there by AGFA.

On his return to India in 1954 he

put to use this knowledge of the

new technological advancement

in photography and Mahatta & Co.

became the first studio in the country

to introduce colour negative positive

printing. The studio grew to become a

famed and iconic destination though

Madan Mahatta rarely displayed his

professional photography works.

Shooting on medium-format

monochromatic film for more than

three decades, from the 1950s to the

1980s, Madan Mahatta documented

the development of New Delhi. He

experimented in a range of subject

matters beyond his architectural images,

such as studio portraits , industrial

photography and feature magazine work.

He had a special affinity for Connaught

Place, where he ran the studio for more

than five decades.

In 2012, Photoink presented his solo

show, Delhi Modern curated by Ram

Rahman, an exhibition of Madan

Mahatta’s architectural photographs. In

2015, an exhibition was held at Indira

Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

(IGNCA), marking a century of Mahatta &

Co. and presented numerous works by

Madan Mahatta.

Few of Madan’s notable achievements

has been a special invitation to

photograph the King of Bhutan. His

picture of the monarch’s profile was used

on Bhutan’s currency and coins. Madan

photographed many a celebrity on their

visit to India. Queen of England, Madame

Titto, Jacquelin Kennedy, J. L Nehru,

Dalai Lama, to name a few.

Not merely a photographer, but an artist,

Madan painted each picture with love

and understanding... love for his work

and understanding of the form in front

of him. Over a span of 60 years, Madan

Mahatta assembled a huge archives of

images.

Moments of national importance

appear in his vast archive, including

photographs of Queen Elizabeth II’s first

visit to India in 1961.

He passed away in 2014. The legacy of

Mahatta & Co. is carried forward by his

sons Pavan and Pankaj and grandson

Arjun Mahatta.

Pho

to by P

ankaj Mahatta.

Glider being towed over Qutab Minar, 197216x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 19 –– 18 –Delhi Zoo Entrance, for architect Habib Rahman, 1978

10x15 / 20x30 / 30x45 in. Edition of 10.

– 21 –– 20 –

Jantar Mantar, 195520x20 in. Edition of 20.

Jantar Mantar, Delhi, 195520x20 in. Edition of 20.

– 23 –– 22 –

Connaught Place during rains, Delhi, 197016x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

Mahatta & Co., Connaught Place, Delhi, 195120x30 in. Open Edition.

– 25 –– 24 –

Pierre Cardin Fashion Show, Delhi, 196716x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

Minto Bridge, for OBM, Delhi, 197116x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 27 –– 26 –

American Embassy, Delhi, 196810x15 / 20x30 / 30x45 in. Edition of 10.

Hindon River Mills, 197110x15 / 20x30 / 30x45 in. Edition of 10.

– 29 –– 28 –South Block, Delhi, 1958

16x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 31 –– 30 –Parliament House, Delhi, 1956 16x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 33 –– 32 –

Talkatora Stadium, Delhi, 197410x 15 / 20x30 / 30x45 in. Edition of 10.

Bahai Temple, 198720x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 35 –– 34 –

Connuaght Place, construction of Palika Parking and LIC Building, 198320x30 in. Open Edition.

Connaught Place, 197120”x30” in. Open Edition.

– 37 –– 36 –Safdarjung Tomb by Glider, 197216”x 24” / 20”x30” in. Edition of 20.

– 39 –– 38 –

Husain Painting Cinema Hoardings, Delhi, 197416x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

Elephant Procession, Rajpath, Delhi, 195516x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

– 41 –– 40 –

India Gate, 196516x24 / 20x30 in. Edition of 20.

Queen Elizabeth and Dr. Rajendra Prasad motorcade passing through Connaught Place, 1961 20x30 in. Edition of 10.

– 43 –– 42 –

RAGHU RAI

Breezy girl, Humayun’s Tomb, 197318x24 in. Edition of 51.

Raghu Rai was born in 1942 in Jhang

(British India - current Pakistan) and

graduated as a civil engineer. He started

photography at the age of 23 in 1965.

He joined The Statesman newspaper as

their chief photographer (1966 to 1976),

and was then Picture Editor with Sunday

- a weekly news magazine published

from Calcutta (1977 to 1980).

In 1971, Henri Cartier Bresson

nominated him to Magnum Photos of

which he is still a partner today. In 1982,

he took over as Picture Editor-Visualiser-

Photographer of India Today, India’s

leading news magazine, a position he

held till 1991.

For the last two decades, Rai has

exclusively devoted his work to India.

He has produced nearly 60 picture

books on different aspects and themes

on India: Delhi, The Sikhs, Calcutta,

Khajuraho, Taj Mahal, Tibet in Exile,

Mother Teresa.

Under special assignment

from Greenpeace International, his

coverage of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy

(1984) was compiled into a book with

three sets of exhibitions that travelled

throughout the world. In 2002, Rai

participated in a special exhibition and

picture book on India and Mexico with

Sebastião Salgado and Graciela Iturbide.

In 1972, he was conferred the

Padmashree, one of the highest

civilian orders in India. In 2009, he was

conferred Officier des Arts et des Lettres

by the French Government. In 2018,

Lucie Foundation, New York honoured

him as Master of Photojournalism.

In 2019, The Academy of Fine Arts

Photography Award - William Klein

bestowed Rai with the consecration

award. This prize is intended to reward

a photographer for their entire career,

making Rai the first recipient of this

award for special contribution to the

world of photography.

His photo essays have appeared in Time,

Life, Nat Geo, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Die

Welt, The New York Times, The Sunday

Times London, Newsweek, Vogue, GQ,

Marie Claire, The Independent, and The

New Yorker. He has been an adjudicator

for the World Press Photo Contest and

UNESCO’s International Photo

Contest many times.

Many exhibitions have been dedicated

to him around the world including

retrospectives at Arles Photography

Festival in 2007 and at National Gallery

of Modern Art, New Delhi in 2008. He

held two solo shows with Ojas Art: Delhi

That Was.... (2012) and Picturing Time

(2015).

In 2012, Raghu Rai created the Raghu

Rai Center for Photography to share his

50 years of knowledge and experience

with the young generations.

Raghu Rai lives in New Delhi with his

family.

Co

urtesy: Rag

hu Rai A

rchives

– 45 –– 44 – In a drummers house, in a Delhi village, 196818x27 in. Edition of 20.

– 47 –– 46 –

In front of Jama Masjid 50 years ago18x27 in. Edition of 20.

“Since I was based in Delhi, on

my lean days, I started visiting the

heritage sites and monuments...

I would usually walk away, going to

the less visited places around the

monument to see what was going

on there. This usually gave me a

different sort of canvas.”

– 49 –– 48 –

New constructions near Kailash Colony, 196918x27 in. Edition of 20.

Construction near Delhi-Haryana border, 197318x27 in. Edition of 20.

– 51 –– 50 –

A boat bridge on Jamuna, 197118x27 in. Edition of 20.

Wheat Thrashing, Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, 196718x27 in. Edition of 51.

– 53 –– 52 –

View of the Central Vista leading to Rashtrapati Bhawan, 197418x24 in. Edition of 20.

Monsoon rain, India Gate, 198618x27 in. Edition of 20.

– 55 –– 54 –

Presidential procession, Rajpath, 197218x27 in. Edition of 51.

Beating the retreat at Vijay Chowk, 196718x27 in. Edition of 20.

– 57 –– 56 –

Parliament House, Delhi, 197715x42 in. Edition of 20.

– 59 –– 58 –

Jama Masjid, 197918x27 in. Edition of 51.

On a monsoon day, Jama Masjid, 197518x27 in. Edition of 51.

– 61 –– 60 –

Republic Day rehearsal, 199618x27 in. Edition of 20.

Jantar Mantar, Delhi, 197318x27 in. Edition of 20.

– 63 –– 62 –

At Bakhtiar Kaki Dargah, Mehrauli, 1990 18x27 in. Edition of 51.

“Today, when I look back at some

of the pictures that I took 30-40

years ago, what emerges is a Delhi

that does not exist anymore, or

has changed so drastically, that

these images stand as a testimony

of photo-history that cannot be

rewritten.”

– 65 –– 64 –

A view of the Central Vista from Rashtrapati Bhawan, 199018x27 in. Edition of 51.

Crossing railway track, opposite Humayun’s Tomb, 196818x24 in. Edition of 51.

– 67 –– 66 –Installing Lord Mahavir, 1990

18x27 in. Edition of 51.

– 68 –

DELHI THAT WAS

Delhi, October 2019Ojas Art, New Delhi

This PublicationPublished in India in 2019

ForOJAS ART

1AQ, Near Qutab MInarMehrauli, Delhi 110 030

art@ojasart.com +91 85100 44145

Copyright Photographs © Respective Artists or as indicatedCopyright Text © Anubhav Nath

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

© OJAS ART 2019

Supported by: Ramchander Nath Foundation

Designed by: Rajinder Arora, Ishtihaar, New Delhi